Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-20
Muller made further note in his book and

lQel, Guo pFlSOueI OCOiA AouiAA
guilty of high treason and attempted murder,
the only matter that remains is the question
Of the punishment required to be meted out
by the law to such wicked and horrible Of
fenses. Every man will give his verdict, hav-
ing duly considered if there is any way by
which, in accordance with the holy dictates
of his conscience, and with the natural
promptings to pity in his heart, he can e1-
tend mercy to the prisoner. As commandant
and president Of the court the first vote lies
with me; and I must tell you, gentlemen,
that feel tho responsibility very hearty
one in the sight Of God and my country; and
must also warn you not to be influenced or.
overruled by my decision. who am, like you,
only man, liable to err and be led away"
"Hear, hear" said the voices on the wagon,
as he paused to note the effect of his address.
"Gentlemen and burghers Of the state, my
natural promptings in this case are toward
pity. The prisoner is an old man, who has
lived many years among US like brother.
Indeed, he is 'voortrekker,' and, though an
Englishman, one of the fathers Of the land.
Can we condemn such a one to a bloody
grave, more especially as he has niece de-,
pendent upon hirn2' .a.. :. -. /. ..sIlt
nNo, no." they cried, in answer to this skill
full touch upon the better strings in their ma
ture.
"Gentlemen, those sentiments do you honor.
My own heart cried but now No, no; what
ever his sins have been, let the old man 60
free.' But then came reflection. True, the
prisoner is old; but should not age have
taught him wisdom2 Is that which is not to
be forgiven to youth to be forgiven to the
ripe experience of many years! May man
murder and be traitor because he is old?"
aNo, certainly not" cried the chorus Oh the
wagon.
"Then there is the second point. He was a
svoortrekker' and father of the land. Should
he not therefore have known better than to
betray it into the hands Of the cruel, goddess
Englisha For. gentlemen, though that charge
is not laid against him, we must remember,
as throwing light upon his general charac-
ter, that the prisoner was one af those vile
men who betrayed the land to Shepstone. Is
it not most cruel and unnatural thing that
q father should sell his own child into slav-
erya-that father Of the land should barter
away it's freedoml Therefore on this point,
too, does justice temper mercy"
"That is so," said tie chorus with particu-
lar enthusiasm, most of them having them
selves been instrumental in bringing the an
nexation about.
"Then one more thing: this man has O
niece, and it is the care of all good men to see
that the young should not be left destitute
and friendless, lest they should grow up bad
and become enemies to the we'll being Of the
state. But in this case that will not be so,
for the farm will go to the girl by law; and,
indeed, she will be well rid Of SO desperate
and goddess an old man.
"And now, having set my reason toward
one side and the other before you, and having
warned you fully to act each man according
to his conscience, I give my vote. 1t Isl
and in the midst Of the most intense silence
he paused and looked at old Silas, who never
even quailed-ait is DEATH"
There was little hum of conversation, and
poor Bessie, surveying the scene through the
crack in the store room wall, groaned in
bitterness and despair Of heart.
Then Hans Coetzee spoke 1t cut his bosom
in two, he said, to have to say word against
one to whom he had for many years been as
q brother. But, then, what was he to dol
The man had plotted evil against their land,
the dear land that the dear Lord had given
them, and which they and their fathers had
OH various occasions watered, and were still
continuing to water, with their blood. What
could be fitting punishment for so black
hearted a traitor, and how would it be pos
sible to insure the better behavior Of other
d--d Englishmen, unless they inflicted that
punishment There could, alas! be but one
answer-though personally speaking, he ut
tered it with many tears, and that answer
was death.
After this there were no more speeches, but
each man voted according to his age, upon
his name being called by the president. At
first there was q little hesitation, for some
among them were fond of. old Silas, and loath
to destroy him. But Frank Muller had
played his game very well, and, nothwith-
standing his appeals to their independence Of
judgment, they knew full surely what would
happen to him who gave his vote against the
president. So they swallowed their better
feelings with all the ease for which such
swallowing is noted, and one by one uttered
the fatal word.
When they had all done Frank Muller ad-
dressed Silas:
prisoner, you have heard the Judgment
against you. l need not now recapitulate
your crimes. You have lad fair and open
trial by court martial, such as our law di-
reefs Have you anything to say why SEN
tence of death should not be passed upon you
in acceptance with the judgment?"
Old Slas looked up with flashing eyes, and
shook back his fringe of white hair like
lion at bay.
II have nothing to say. II you will do
murder, do it, black hearted villain that you
are! Knight point to my gray hairs, to my
murdered servant, to my home that took me
ten years to build, destroyed by you! 1
might tell you how have been good citi-
zen and lived peaceably and neiglborly in
the land for more than twenty ysars-ay,
and done kindness after kindness to many Of
you who arc going to murder me in cold
blood But will not. Shoot me if you will,
and may my death lie heavy on your heads.
This morning I would have said that my
country would avenge me; cannot say that
now, for England has deserted us and have
no country. Therefore I leave the Vengeance
in the hands of God, who never fails to
avenge, though sometimes he waits for long
to do it. I am not afraid of you. Shoot me
now if you like. have lost my honor, my
home and my country; why should Inot lose
my life also."
Frank Muller fixed his cold eyes upon the
old mans quivering face and smiled dread
full smile Of triumph.
"Prisoner it is now my duty, in the name
Of God and the republic, to sentence you to
be shot tomorrow at dawn, and may the
Almighty forgive you your wickedness and
have mercy upon your soul.
WS%[.,'